WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. --- Freshman Pau Valdepenas won the men's 8-kilometer race and the Tusculum University women had two top-10 finishers at the Akiah McMillan Cross Country Invitational at the Par-Tee Golf Center on Saturday.
The Tusculum men took fourth place out of 15 teams, while the Pioneer women were ninth overall out of 16 teams. Senior Emily Coddington was the women's top finisher as she placed third overall in the 6-kilometer race.
The Pioneers will compete in the Royals Challenge on Friday, Oct. 6 in Charlotte in their final meet before the South Atlantic Conference Championship on Saturday, Oct. 21 in Newton, North Carolina.
MEN'S RESULTS
Valdepenas beat Zachary Knott of Belmont Abbey to the finish line by 2.7 seconds to earn the victory with a time of 25:38.0. The Sant Cugat Sesgarrigues, Spain native had finished second in his most-recent meet at Walters State on Sept. 9, and his time beat his previous season best by 22 seconds.
Freshman Sam Shipp took third place with a time of 25:49.7, with sophomore Jerry Ricker in 26th place at 27:47.2 which easily surpassed his previous best time of 29:24.3 set Sept. 1 at the Eye Opener. Senior Antonio Aparicio was 42nd overall at 28:26.1, with junior Ryan Drysch as the fifth finisher in 57th place at 29:24.3.
Also running for the Pioneers were freshman Simon Ray, who was 59th in 29:36.9, and junior Landen Locklear who took 111th place at 34:17.4.
Belmont Abbey had five top-10 finishers and won the team championship with 28 points, followed by Augusta (87 points), UNC Pembroke (103), Tusculum (109) and SCAD Savannah (131) in the top five.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Coddington had her second top-five finish of the season as she crossed the line in 22:29.9, just 11 seconds behind race winner Jackline Kosgei of UNC Pembroke. Sophomore Inmaculada Delgado took eighth place in 23:54.1 for her fourth top-10 finish in nine career races.
Sophomore Victoria Caliendo was 66th in 29:36.5, followed by senior Judy Chellah in 78th place at 31:27.0 and junior Silvia Bah in 105th place at 37:59.7.
SCAD Savannah won the team championship with 39 points, with UNC Pembroke in second with 92 points and Belmont Abbey third with 120 points. Tusculum tied with Lander for eighth place with 233 points, but the Bearcats won the tiebreaker for eighth due to the better fifth-place finisher.
Akiah McMillan Invitational
at West Columbia, S.C.
MEN
Tusculum results: 1. Pau Valdepenas, 25:38.0; 3. Sam Shipp, 25:49.7; 26. Jerry Ricker, 27:42.2; 42. Antonio Aparicio, 28:26.1; 57. Ryan Drysch, 29:24.3; 59. Simon Ray, 29:36.9; 111. Landen Locklear, 34:17.4.
Team results (Top 5): 1. Belmont Abbey 28; 2. Augusta 87; 3. UNC Pembroke 103; 4. Tusculum 109; 5. SCAD Savannah 131.
WOMEN
Tusculum results: 3. Emily Coddington, 22:29.9; 8. Inmaculada Delgado, 23:54.1; 66. Victoria Caliendo, 29:36.5; 78. Judy Chellah, 31:27.0; 105. Silvia Bah, 37:59.7.
Team results (Top 10): 1. SCAD Savannah 39; 2. UNC Pembroke 92; 3. Belmont Abbey 120; 4. USC Aiken 132; 5. Columbia (S.C.) 138; 6. Columbia International 169; 7. Truett-McConnell 171; 8. Lander 233; 9. Tusculum 233; 10. Johnson & Wales 237.
